The Tale of Three Brothers
by Sapphire Orb
Summary: DH Spoilers. Death never lets his victims walk away, because he knows, that no matter how many battles you win against him, he will always win the war.


For all those about to read this story a warning first…

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE YET TO READ DEATHLY HOLLOWS!

It doesn't give away too much, I will admit that, but it will give away one some of the plot to you.

And for those who have read the book, then feel free to read! And please review at the end!

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**The Tale of Three Brothers**

_**By: Sapphire Orb**_

"_There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely winding road at twilight –"_

"I don't know how I let you idiots talk me into this!"

"Oh come now brother! There's nothing to be frightened of!"

"No–Nothing to be frightened of? Are you mad! Never mind, forget I asked we all know you are!"

"He's got you there Antioch, don't even deny it!" Cadmus said with a laugh as his older brother scuffed moving ahead of them on the road.

"I think we hurt his feelings." Cadmus said with a laugh, whispering into his younger brother ear.

"I think your right, perhaps he needs a little cheering up?" Ignotus asked, completely sincere in his actions.

"I agree fully!" Cadmus said pulling out a wand from his robes, Ignotus' eyes widening, but before he could stop his elder brother, he had sent a spark of magic at Antioch's back.

Antioch's traveling robe caught aflame as he ran to pull it off. Once the fire was out and his robe lay mingled on the road, he turned back to his two younger brothers, a look of rage on his face.

Ignotus, not knowing what else to do, pointed at Cadmus yelling 'he did it!' before running off back the way he came.

"Why you little double crossing –!" He heard Cadmus yell before he saw a flash of red pass over his head. He ducked down to try to avoid the random spells that were being lunched by the two he left behind.

He didn't get far though, as his ears picked up the distant screams of people coming up the road.

"Can you see it? There! there! Sparks shooting up! It be the devils work I tell ya!"

"The devil has come! Bring the weapons!"

"Witches! Warlocks! They are trying to kill us!"

Scrams of angry people soon filled his ear and he could feel the ground move as the people ran up the road to confront them. It was considered evil to have magic, the devils work they said. And Ignotus knew that if they were found they would be hung, if not killed on the spot.

He turned around, skidding on his spot, as he stumbled to get back to his dueling brothers. "Cadmus! Antioch! Stop! You must stop!" he tried to yell as he ran up to them, but the noise of the exploding spells made it hard to hear anything.

Finally he pulled out his own wand and, sending two identical spells at his brothers, and sent there wands flying into the air.

"You idiots! The villagers! The villagers they saw you!" He yelled as he finally reached his brothers as they struggled to get there wands.

"What!" Cadmus yelled standing up and looking at the torches burning in the distance.

"Let them come!" Antioch proclaimed as he found his wand, "we can take them! There only muggles!"

"You really are mad! You know that our people are supposed to be going into hiding!" Ignotus said as he turned to Antioch who seemed determined to fight. "We'll only get hung if we try to stop them!"

"We'll get hung if they catch us anyway!"

"So we run then! We can't stay and fight! We'll be shunned by our own people if we kill mu– "

"I'm sorry to interrupt your oh so important fight, but, it might be a good idea to run NOW!" Cadmus yelled as he found his wand. He pointed to the crowd of people that were now becoming visible through the darkness of night.

The three brothers forgot there dispute and began to run, sprinting down the path that they had moments before been walking down. None knew where they were going, but at that point they didn't care, they needed to get away from the villagers, and hope beyond hope that no one had seen them.

"_In time the brothers reached a river too deep to wade through and too dangerous to swim across."_

"Do you think we lost them?" Ignotus asked panting on the ground.

"Ya. can't hear them anymore at least." Cadmus said looked back toward the road. They had gone off the path in an attempt to lose their pursuers, but now they had come deep into the forest around them, and were, to an extent, lost.

"Come on you weaklings, we should keep moving, incase they find us again." Antioch said standing over his panting brothers, he was fitter then the both of them, and seemed almost unaffected by there escape.

"He's…right" Ignotus said trying to pull himself up off the forest floor before stopping suddenly "what's that?" He asked and all the brothers looked at each other.

"It's not the villagers again, because if it is-"

"No, no it's not that! It sounds like a river!" he said finally standing up and pulling on the branches and trees that were obstructing his view. As he moved more branches and more of the undergrowth, he slowly began to get peeks at water not far ahead of them.

"It is! It's the river!" Ignotus proclaimed happily as he stepped out onto its bank.

"Well I'll be." Said Cadmus as he and Antioch followed suite, and coming out to the bank. They all stood and stared at the water for the longest time as it glowed in the moon light, it had to be close to midnight by that point, so the moon shown brightly on the water from over head.

"Were almost there!" Ignotus proclaimed with a smile, "Soon we'll be away from these muggles! Away from the hangings! Away from constant fear of death!"

"And we will finally be able to use magic!" Antioch said lifting his wand into the air as one would do to a trophy.

"And maybe we'll see our family again." Cadmus said with a sad smile. Out of all of them, Cadmus had taken the death of anyone close to him the hardest. There parents had been hung years ago, for having magic. The boys had been spared death because the church refused to harm the innocent children for the crimes of there parents. It didn't mater though, they were shunned by the village, and no one looked after them, no one gave them jobs, food, money, and they were left to fend for themselves in a town that did not want them.

The thought that maybe there were other Peverell's brought some joy to all of them, it meant that maybe they wouldn't be alone anymore, maybe they did have family outside themselves, maybe they could be accepted…

"Come on then." Antioch said after they were silent for a while "the sooner we get over the better."

"Right" the two brothers agreed taking out there wands.

_However, these brothers were learned in the magical arts, and so they simply waved there wands and made a bridge appear across the treacherous water._

They knew the incantation; the newly formed Ministry of Wizards and Witches (1) had sent them a letter with it. they had been sending them to all the wizarding families throughout England, each given there own instructions on how to get to one of the newly formed wizarding colonies that were being made all over the Untied Kingdom.

The Brothers lifted there wands and said the words and slowly a strip of land began to rise from the river cutting it in half. The bridge was formed, and now they only had to cross it, each hoping the incantation held because the river below them was known to be deadly, the undercurrents strong enough to pull even the strongest swimmer under.

_They were half way across it when they found there path blocked by a hooded figure. _

Antioch saw it first, but if he should call it an 'it' was beyond him. it was a hooded figure taller then any man he had seen and the cloak it wore looked like the water that they were walking over, he could see no hands, no feet, no face, it seemed like an embodiment of the river they now walked and for a second he thought it was his imagination.

Cadmus was the next to see him, though he recognized him in an instant, he had seen him before, coming through his house, stealing that which was most precious to him. To Cadmus he came in a different form, he looked human, though clocked, he could see the face of a muggle under the hood, a face with deep set eyes that made it look almost skeletal, as if the flesh had just been slipped on over the bones, it was a face that he had seen arrive at his door and take his love away.

Ignotus was the last to lay eyes upon the creature. He had felt his brothers stop and looked up from the bridge. The person in front of him was no stranger, but neither was he well known, he had seen him but from a distance in every shape and form, unlike his two brothers, one who was only worried about his own survival and the other who only cared for those closest to him, he was concerned about all that had seen this creature and had been taken by it. He and he alone, saw the creature for what it truly was: an unbeatable obstacle.

_And death spook to them. He was angry that he had been cheated out of three new victims, for travelers usually drowned in the river. But Death was cunning._

Cadmus was the first to speak, eyes wide as he looked at the skeletal man in front of him "Death…" he said in no more then a whisper, the man grinned at him, his teeth showing through his thin lips.

"Cadmus Peverell," Death said his voice deep but rasped as I from age. "it is good to see you again." he said his smile never leaving, Cadmus felt the urge to hit the man, but his elder brother stepped in front of him, facing Death as if he was just another opponent.

"What do you want from us Death?" Antioch Asked, looking up to Death, still unable to see him through the shimmering cloak. "We have evaded the river, we are still very much alive, you cannot take us."

Death laughed at this, a laugh that to Antioch flowed from his mouth as water flowed down as river. "I have come for nothing of the sort," he said in a voice that sounded of water hitting rocks as it flowed by them, "I have come to congratulate you."

"Congratulate us?" Ignotus asked looking at the skeletal form in the black cloak.

"Yes, yes nothing more." Death assured the three of them, each hearing death in there own way.

_He pretended to congratulate the three brothers upon there magic, and said that each had earned a prize for having been cleaver enough to evade him._

"you see," Death proclaimed coming closer to the three brothers, "many have come to this river and died, but you, you three have been able to evade my touch, you alone have crossed this river, through use of your magic, and have over come me." Death proclaimed, smiling from beneath his black sash.

"And for that," he said bowing low to the three "I congratulate you." He stood up then coming to his full height, "you have each, because of this, earned a prize." He said, an evil smile passing over his face.

Antioch for the first time saw the glowing eyes beneath the watery cloak gleaming as the moon light did upon the water below them: Cadmus saw the evil gleam in the deep set eyes of the old man and the malicious smirk on his face: Ignotus, felt the full power and evil radiating off the creature in front of him, as he looked down from his black hood.

_So the oldest brother, who was a combative man, asked for a wand more powerful than any in existence: a wand that must always win duels for its owner, a wand worthy of a wizard who had conquered Death!_

"A prize?" Ignotus asked, weary of what death was planning.

"Yes," Death hissed out, "anything you wish, it shale be yours." The three brothers looked at each other, none knew whether to trust death or not, and finally Antioch stepped forward.

"Since I am the eldest, I will have my pick first." He proclaimed, he felt death watching him, the glowing eyes staring into his soul, and though he could not see it, he felt that death was smiling down at him.

Antioch thought for a moment before feeling his hand grasp tighter around his wand, he had forgotten that he had yet to put it away, keeping it out incase the need for battle might arise.

"A wand." He finally said, looking back into deaths eyes, "but not just any wand, a wand so powerful that it can defeat any who come my way!" he was becoming more confident now knowing that Death had to listen to his orders "a wand," he continued "worthy of the wizard who conquered Death!" He finally finished smirking up at Death himself.

_So Death crossed to an elder tree on the banks of the river, fashioned a wand from a branch that hung there and gave it to the oldest brother._

"A wand you say," Death said looking up into the sky, "so be it" he slowly moved across the bridge, his clock unmoving and his body gliding instead of walking. He moved over to the forest on the banks and studied each tree from a distance. Finally he seemed to find the right one and moved up to it, an elder tree, old and twisted from age, and pulled off a branch that was dipping ever so lightly into the water. He held it in one hand and soon it began to float in midair. The branch spun faster and faster over Deaths hand as he slowly glided back to the brothers.

As he approached Antioch the branch stopped spinning and in its place stood a magnificent wand, gleaming in the moon light. "A wand, for you master Antioch, a wand worthy of he who Conquered _Death."_ Death said handing him the wand, the last word coming out as a hiss like that of a sea spray.

Antioch grabbed the wand, eyes wide as he looked at it, it was magnificent; he could feel the power flowing through it as he ran his hands over it. But if he had not been paying so much attention to the trinket, then perhaps he would have noticed the gleam in Deaths eyes as if seeing what was to become of the wand and its wielder.

_Then the second brother, who was an arrogant man, decided that he wanted to humiliate Death still further, and asked for the power to recall others from Death._

"Master Cadmus, since you are the second oldest, you shall have the next choice." Death proclaimed turning to him, a smile still playing at his old face.

As Cadmus looked into the man's face he couldn't help but grow angry again. This was the man that had taken his love from him. This was the man that had ruined his happy ending, this was the man who had taken every one close to him other then his two brothers, this was the man who had come to his door that night and dragged his wife out to be hung.

And for that, he decided, he would have his revenge.

"I want the power," he started glaring at the old man in front of him, but Deaths smile only grew larger "to call back souls from you! I want to be able to take back any soul that you have taken and bring them back to this world!" he proclaimed still glaring at the creature in front of him, Death still smiling as if once again knowing what would soon happen to the second eldest.

_So Death picked up a stone from the riverbank and gave it to the second brother, and told him that the stone would have the power to bring back the dead._

"Very well then, if it's that that you want, it is that you will get." Death said walking away once again to the edge of the river. He studied the ground this time though and then soon bent down and grabbed a stone that was lying upon the bank half buried in the soft mud.

He clutched it in his old skeletal looking hand and slowly walked back, the stone started to glow, a deep red, slowly getting brighter. By the time Death had reached Cadmus the stone was as bright as a candle flame, glowing bright red through Deaths fingers.

Death held his hand out and Cadmus followed suite, extending his hand palm up for Death to drop the stone in. The old man opened his hand and as the stone dropped from one hand to the next it stopped glowing, looking no more then a rock when it hit Cadmus' open hand.

Death nodded to Cadmus, smirking at him before turning to the only brother left. "And you, Ignotus, what would you have from me then?" Death asked, the dark holes in his head staring down at him.

_And then Death asked the third and youngest brother what he would like. The youngest brother was the humblest and also the wisest of the brothers. And he did not trust Death. So he asked for something that would enable him to go forth from that place without being followed by Death._

Ignotus looked into the blank eye sockets as he thought of what he would have. Unlike his brothers he had seen the malicious look that he had given his two brothers, as if saying 'enjoy your prize for now, but I will get them back'. And he couldn't help but feel that Death was right. He knew that even though they had won this battle, they could not win the war, not against Death, but that didn't mean he couldn't draw it out for as long as he could.

"I know what I want," He said looking once again into Deaths face, no smile played on Ignotus' face, no feelings of pride for beating Death showed through his face. Beating Death once was enough for him, he did not want to rub it into the creatures face and have him follow him from the bridge.

"Your cloak," he said pointing to the black sash covering deaths shoulders "the Cloak of Invisibility."

_And Death, most unwillingly, handed over his own Cloak of Invisibility._

Death was no longer smiling, he was no longer radiating a knowing aura, but instead seemed almost taken aback by the request, but he knew that he must listen to the human. He had promised them any prize, and he never went back on his word.

So reluctantly Death removed his cloak, and folding it, handed it to the youngest of the three brothers.

_Then Death stood aside and allowed the three Brothers to continue on their way, and they did so, talking with wonder of the adventure they had had, and admiring Deaths gifts._

Death did not speak after that, but instead bowed once again to the three brothers, and as his body stayed hunched over it began to dissolve and slowly become invisible until it had completely disappeared into the night.

The three brothers were completely silent as they finally made it over the bridge, but once there feet touch the solid earth on the other side of the river it was as if a spell was broken.

"Wow." Cadmus said exasperated, as he looked down at the stone, laughing to himself.

Antioch held up his wand studying it in the moon light, "I'll become the greatest wizard know to man with this!" he proclaimed proudly.

Ignotus for his part remained silent studying the cloak in his hands, the material flowing like water through them.

Antioch turned to his younger brothers, studying each of there prizes. "Yep, mines defiantly the best." He said putting the elder wand into his pocket.

"Like hell it is!" Cadmus said smiling at his brother, "no magic can bring the dead back to life! I am the only person who can now!" he said happily.

"So what! That is only one small power! With a wand like this I can have all the power I will ever need!'

"Ya, say what you will, but I think my gift is far better" he said twirling the stone in his hand. "But I think we both agree, Ignotus' it the worst!" he said with a laugh.

"You've got that right!" Antioch said laughing also.

Ignotus scuffed at them "say what you will, but my prize will do me better then yours will." He said ignoring his brothers' laughter.

They walked a bit more in silence, Ignotus having folded up the clock and tucking it under his traveling sash. Cadmus putting his rock into the chest pocket of his own robe. They had found the road again but it was now darker then before, and clouds had moved over the moon, but it didn't matter much, as they knew that the road was safer then the woods, that Deaths eyes weren't so fixed upon them there.

They moved along, the silence slowly becoming suffocating, each one hoping that the other would talk, but none knowing what to talk about.

"So…" Cadmus started, finally breaking the overwhelming silence, "how far is Godric's Hollow again?"

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(1) The Ministry of Magic was not formed until later when other magical creatures began to complain that they were not getting equal rights in magical community

**Finally finished... okay not really but this story got way to long so I decided to stop there! Yes I know it's an odd fan fic, and an odd idea, but it was so much fun to write and think about!**

**I hope you liked it! And I hope it was as enjoyable to read as it was to write!**

**Please drop me a review! I would love to hear some feedback.**

**I would also like to know if I should continue, or if I should just leave to story as is and have it a one shot. Please give me your opinion!**


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